Hand grenade



p 25, 1934- J. D. MORENO ET AL 7 1,975,014

HAND GRENADE Filed Dec. 22, 1932 Patented Sept. 25, 19354 UETED STATESHAND GRENADE Juan Delgado Moreno and Virgilio Fernandez de la Vega,Madrid, Spain Application December 22, 1932, Serial No. 648,484 In SpainFebruary 26, 1932 5 Claims.

treme delicacy of the mechanism, and the difiiculties attendingtransport in the war zone.

Danger of handling. In handling the various hand grenades hitherto usedmany accidents may occur. In percussion grenades one runs the risk 5 oftheir being dropped or of the bomb-thrower falling; with time-fusegrenades it may, and in the last great war did, occur that the grenadeburst before it reached the target, or that it did not explode onreaching it. In the first case, the thrower may be within the dangerzone; and in the second, the grenade may be picked up and thrown back.It may also happen that the grenade is not thrown, owing tothe bomberhaving been wounded a moment before, in which case he -runs a very graverisk. In grenades having a stick provided with a string of a certainlength, the unwinding of which sets the detonator in action, there isthe risk either of letting the string go before it is fully unwound orof causing thegrenade to return by pulling the string when the processof unwinding has come to an end; in the former of these twoalternatives, the grenade will have been rendered useless, and in thelatter it will be caused to explode near enough to endanger the thrower.

Finally, with all known types of grenades,

when they fail to explode, there is a manifest risk entailed in pickingthem up, as the reason for the failure to explode and consequently theexact position of the mechanism are unknown, and an untimely explosionmay well occur whilst they are being picked up. I

The essential conditions that an ideal grenade should fulfill toovercome these drawbacks, are

the following:

(1) Absolute safety in transport and handling up to the moment ofthrowing. w

(2) Certainty at the time of throwing that the detonating device cannotenter into action until the grenade is beyond the zone of danger to thethrower.

(3) Certainty that the grenade will explode at the very moment ofreaching the target, and neither before nor after.

5 (4) An arrangement enabling the state of the mechanism of anunexploded grenade to be ascertained at a glance, so as to enable it tobe removed with perfect safety.

The grenade, according to the present invention, satisfies these mainrequirements in conditions of extreme simplicity of working and low costof manufacture.

To fulfill the first condition, the grenade is provided with a strikersuch as indispensable for operating the detonating device, which strikermay be removed from or fitted to the grenade in an instant.

In order to fulfill the second condition, a means for pulling isprovided consisting of a tape that, only on'reaching its full stretch,releases the safety catch of'the detonating device, and does so notwholly but in part, leaving it ready to release itself and cause theexplosion when the grenade strikes the target;

,The third condition is fulfilled by the fact that afterthe safety-catchhas been partly released, the detonating device is left in such aposition as to convert the grenade into a percussion bomb.

Lastly, the fourth condition is satisfied in as much as the position ofthe detonating device in an unexploded grenade is ascertainable by merevisual examination.

We have established two different forms of construction basedrupon thesame principle. According to the one, the bomber retains a part in theshape of a tape, which causes the safetycatch' of the grenade to fall;according to the other, this releasing part separates from the grenadeof itself during the flight of the latter through the air.

To enable the following description to be more readily understood, thedrawing is attached illustrating both embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a section through AB of Fig. 3.

Figs. 2 and 2 are details, in section, of the form of construction shownin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a general view of the grenade seen from the side on which thefiring device lies, which latter is shown in front View.

Fig. 4 shows the firing device in a variant form of construction fromthat shown in the three last figures.

As will be seen from the drawing, the grenade forming the subject of theinvention is composed of a spherical body 20, inside which are arrangedthe explosive charge and grape-shot as well as the detonating device andthe mechanism actuating the same.

The detonating device consists of a cartridge 21 arranged inside a tube22 and provided with a detonator 23 suitable for being struck by astriker 24 provided at the opposite end of the tube 22. This strikerconsists of a member that is fitted to the body of the grenade by ascrewor bayonet-joint enabling it to be withdrawn or fitted instantly;for example, at the moment of use, and of being removed duringtransport, thus constituting a first and absolutely efiective safeguard.

The cartridge lies in a position of rest, against the pressure of aspring 25, which projects it against the striker, thus causing theexplosion; and is held in that position by the firing mechanism which,until released, prevents the cartridge from being displaced.

The spherical cap 1 has a hole in the centre to take screw 2, the end ofwhich penetrates into the firing lever 3. This lever, close to the endin which is inserted the screw 2, is bored to take the pin 4 which ispressed downward by the spring 5; the upper end of pin 4 penetrates intothe opening 6 bored in the part 7, whilst the lower end 8 rests on a box9 containing the tape 10 that operates the mechanism. This tape isfolded and not wound. The tape 10 (Figs. 2 and 2*) either passes splitin two through two holes provided in the cap 1 and forms a knot and aring for the bomber to use if required for throwing the grenade whilstretaining the tape and the cap inhis hand; or else the tape may bearranged, as shown the drawing, to pass through the cap and be fastenedwhen the grenade is to be used; at very short distances, thebomber maydraw out the tape until a mark appears on it very near its inner endanarrangement that may be of use in the case of hand-to-hahd or closefighting. e

The advantages and operation of the device just described are asfollowsWhen the grenade is in a state of rest, that is to say, as shownin Fig. 1, the screw 2 holds the cap 1 fixed against the outersurface ofthe grenade. It also holds the firing lever B and the pin 4 in a fixedposition and absolutely prevents the'accidental firing of the grenade,this being one of the characteristics of the invention. Between thescrew 2 and the cap 1, a leather washer 11 is provided, forming a closejoint, and preventing water or other fiuids from penetrating into thegrenade.

At the moment of using thegrenade, the screw 2 is unscrewed and thegrenade is either thrown in the manner last described, so that the capexerts a pull upon the tape 10, or the cap and the tape are retained inthe hand by means of the loop forming the end of thetape, as shown inFigure 2. In either case, the tape unfolds from inside the box 9 and, onbecoming tensioned, it exerts a pull on this box, to the bottom of whichit is knotted at 12, with the result that the box is pulled out frominside the grenade. To facilitate this operation and prevent the boxfrom being caught, it is given a semicircular shape. When the box isseparated from the body of the grenade, the pin 4, under the action ofthe spring 5, is expelled from the opening 6 bored in the part 7, andreleases the firing lever B, which is now only held in position by thepart 7 resting upon it. It will be readily understood that, in thisposition, the blow produced by the grenade striking the target causesthe full release of the lever 3 and the projection of the cartridge onto the striking spike.

According to the variant shown in Fig. 4, the

box 9 is arranged in the body of the grenade and at the top has anopening underneath the end 8 of pin 4. Over that opening is fitted aplate 17 having a groove 18 through which passes the tape, the inner endof which is secured to the part of the plate lying between its edge andthe said groove. It will be readily understood that plate 17 stops anydownward movement of the pin 4 under the action of spring 5 as longasth'e tape is not fully unfolded, but that the tape, on becoming fullyunfolded, exerts a pull on the plate 17, displacing it and allowing thepin 4 to drop under the action of spring 5.

As will be seen from the drawing, the ring for sustaining the grenade isreplaced by a plug 13 the inner bore of which is square down to certaindepth, to enable the plug to be screwed into the grenade with a key,after which the bore is round, as shown at 14; the object of this shapeof plug is the following. On two faces of the square-bored part areprovided grooves 15, and at the bottom of the said part a notch 16. Onthe other hand, the bomber is provided with a belt studded throughoutits length with stout pegs (which are not shown) which fit into the boreof the plug in the grenade so that two knobs provided on each peg enterinto the grooves 15; thus a mere turn of the grenade is sufficient tosnap it on to the peg, the knobs of which fit into the lower notch 16.This simple bayonet-socket enables a large number of grenades to berapidly carried and also rapidly and easily handled by each bomber. v

A grenade, without changing the firing mechanism, can be cylindrical orof any other shape.

nally, on the body of the grenade.

We claim; H

1. A hand grenade comprising a body to contain an explosive material, acartridge movable in the body and having a detonator, means to guide thecartridge, a spring to move the cartridge, a striker engageable by thedetonator of the cartridge when the latter is moved by the spring, afiring lever in the 'body, a removable cap on one side of the body, anda screw'carried by the cap securing the same to the body and engageablewith the lever to 'hold the latter in the required .position to preventmovement of the cartridge while the cap is in place, and "to release thelever when the cap is removed.

2. Ahand grenade comprising a body to contain an explosive material, acartridge movable in the body and having a detonator, means to guide thecartridge, a spring to move the car-; tridge, a striker engageable bythe detonator of the cartridge when the latter is moved by the spring, afiring lever in the body, a removable 1 cap on one side of the body, anda screw carried by the cap securing the same to the body and engageablewith the lever to hold the latter 'in the required position to preventmovement of the cartridge while the cap is in place, and to release thelever when the cap is removed, additional means to hold the lever 'incartridge detaining position and releasing means for the additionallever holding means and including .a tape arranged in the body andconnected to the cap and active, after the grenade is thrown, to releasethe additional-holding means.

3. A hand grenade comprising a. body to contain an explosive material, acartridge movable in the body and having a detonator, means to' guidethe cartridge, a spring to move the cartridge, a striker engageable bythe detonator of the cartridge when the latter is moved by the spring, afiring lever in the body, a removable cap on one side of the body, and ascrew carried by the cap securing the same to the body and engageablewith the lever to hold the latter in the required position to preventmovement of the cartridge while the cap is in place, and to release thelever when the cap is removed, additional means to hold the lever incartridge detaining position and releasing means for the additionallever holding means and including a tape arranged in the body andconnected to the cap and active, after the grenade is thrown, to releasethe additional holding means, said additional lever holding meanscomprising a stop element bearing between said lever at a, fixed pointin the body, a pin to hold said stop element in holding position, aspring to project said pin and thereby release said stop element andalso including a member to hold said pin against the tension of saidspring and displaceable by the pull of the tape when the grenade isthrown.

4. A hand grenade comprising a body to contain an explosive material, acartridge movable in the body and having a detonator, means to guide thecartridge, a spring to move the cartridge, a striker engageable by thedetonator of the cartridge when the latter is moved by the spring, afiring lever in the body, a removable cap on one side of the body, and ascrew carried by the cap securing the same to thebody and engageablewith the lever to hold the latter in the required position to preventmovement of the cartridge while the cap is in place, and to release thelever when the cap is removed, additional means to hold the lever incartridge detaining position and releasing means for the additionallever holding means and including a tape arranged in the body andconnected to the cap and active, after the grenade is thrown, to releasethe additional holding means, said additional lever holding meanscomprising a stop element bearing between said lever at a fixed point inthe body, a pin to hold said stop element in holding position, a springto project said pin and thereby release said stop element and alsoincluding a member to hold said pin against the tension of said springand displaceable by the pull of the tape when the grenade is thrown, acase in the body in which the tape is arranged, the displaceable elementbeing a plate to which the tape is attached and which is arranged on thetape case.

5. A grenade as claimed in claim 1, including a tape in the body markedclose to its inner end and means for drawirg out the tape up to saidmark before throwing the grenade when it must be thrown for shortdistances.

JUAN DELGADO MORENO. VIRGILIO FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA.

